Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 12 (UNI) Defence Minister A K Antony today stressed that the country will not go for any military pact with other countries under any situation, but continue defence cooperation.
''We have several agreements with regard to defence with many countries in the world. But India will not go for any military pact,'' he said, while inaugurating 'Think Tank on Defence and Foreign Policy' at the V K Krishna Menon study Centre for International Relations here.
The country had cooperation in the defence sector with many countries.
As part of it, joint exercises were being conducted, he said, and added that it did not mean that the country would have any military pact with any country.
Mr Antony also stated that the military had not become self-reliant till now. ''Though we might have friends all around, India should have a military that should be self-reliant in tackling the dangerous situations,'' he said.
As India was economically growing, the country needed a strong military force. ''But we cannot wait for our military to become self reliant and to develop our own weapons. In this situation, the country buys the most sophisticated weapons from other countries,'' he said.
Pointing out that the foreign policy of the country developed by Jawaharlal Nehru and V K Krishna Menon had not changed, he said India also had to bring in new formula according to the changing global equations. ''Earlier we did not have any defence cooperation with some countries. But now in the changed global equations, we have relations with countries, including the US,'' he said.
At the same time, we maintained the same relation with the countries that we had been cooperating for years, he added.
UNI PN GKT GL HS2101
''We have several agreements with regard to defence with many countries in the world. But India will not go for any military pact,'' he said, while inaugurating 'Think Tank on Defence and Foreign Policy' at the V K Krishna Menon study Centre for International Relations here.
The country had cooperation in the defence sector with many countries.
As part of it, joint exercises were being conducted, he said, and added that it did not mean that the country would have any military pact with any country.
Mr Antony also stated that the military had not become self-reliant till now. ''Though we might have friends all around, India should have a military that should be self-reliant in tackling the dangerous situations,'' he said.
As India was economically growing, the country needed a strong military force. ''But we cannot wait for our military to become self reliant and to develop our own weapons. In this situation, the country buys the most sophisticated weapons from other countries,'' he said.
Pointing out that the foreign policy of the country developed by Jawaharlal Nehru and V K Krishna Menon had not changed, he said India also had to bring in new formula according to the changing global equations. ''Earlier we did not have any defence cooperation with some countries. But now in the changed global equations, we have relations with countries, including the US,'' he said.
At the same time, we maintained the same relation with the countries that we had been cooperating for years, he added.
UNI PN GKT GL HS2101
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